After her film career (early 1950s) she became a blonde-maned exotic dancer who professionally went by "Gilda and Her Crowning Glory" and played both in the States and Canada.
After she quit burlesque, she found a diverse variety of jobs to maintain an income: bartender, secretary, theater sales director, truck driver for the Air Force, dress shop saleslady, nuts and bolts saleslady, marketing director, and jewelry designer/painter.
Designed and printed a Shirley Jean Memorabilia Catalog which offers Our Gang items at a price the average Our Gang fan can afford...it is NOT for collectors, just the people who still like the Our Gang/Little Rascals.
Married and divorced twice and had one daughter, Melody.
Shirley's "Our Gang" spit-curled blonde character "look" was styled after Mack Sennett Bathing Beauty Ruth Taylor who was the star of the original "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" on stage.